Highly resolved, low noise, room-temperature coulomb-staircase and blockade up to 2.2V in isolated 50 micron long one dimensional necklace of 10 NM AU particles

摘要

Coulomb blockade in metal nanoparticles isolated by a tunneling barrier is considered to be a potential solution to low power, robust, high-speed electronic switching device operating at single-electron transport. However, the switching voltage equal to the threshold voltage to overcome coulomb blockade for these devices is typically in the 10 mV range and/or operating at currents well below 1 nA, which inhibits their application as a practical device. Theoretically, a one dimensional nanoparticle necklace is predicted to be an ideal structure to achieve higher switching voltages. The present invention provides a single-electron device composed of a necklace of about 5000 nanoparticles. The linear necklace is self-assembled by interfacial phenomena along a triple-phase line of fiber, a substrate and electrolyte containing nanoparticles. The I-V measurements on the system show both coulomb blockade and staircase, with high currents and high threshold voltage of 1-3 V. The present invention also provides methods for constructing such a device.